To Fix Broken Wings
by Roxius
Summary: After being hit by a car, Zoey falls into the care of Dawn. However, her love for the bluehaired girl and a terrible past event keeps getting in the way of their friendship. Eventual Appealshipping, Pokeshipping, etc. Please R & R! possible lime.
1. Chapter 1

_"YOU'RE A DISGRACE!"_

_"Wah...but I...I...I'm 24, dad! I can do what I want!"_

_"SHUT UP! YOU ARE NOT MY DAUGHTER!"_

_"Ah...Wait! What are you saying?"_

_"MY DAUGHTER...MY DAUGHTER WOULDN'T LOVE OTHER GIRLS! IT'S JUST NOT RIGHT!"_

_"Dad...I'm sorry...please..."_

_"NO! I AM NOT FORGIVING YOU THIS TIME! YOU HAVE RUINED THE FAMILY NAME WITH YOUR DISGUSTING ANTICS!"_

_"Dad, please! I won't do it again! I promise!"_

_"YOU PROMISE? HOW CAN I BELIEVE YOU? ALL THESE YEARS, I HAD SUCH HIGH HOPES FOR YOU! NOW...YOU'VE RUINED THEM ALL WITH YOUR LUST FOR WOMEN!"_

_"Dad, I didn't ruin anything! I can still make you proud!" _

_"BE QUIET, YOU INSOLENT WENCH! YOU HAVE DESTROYED MY RESPECT FOR YOU, MY ONLY DAUGHTER! I...I CANNOT HAVE YOU AROUND HERE ANY LONGER!"_

_"...!!!"_

_"TAKE ALL THE SUPPLIES YOU NEED...THEN LEAVE AND NEVER COME BACK! DO YOU UNDERSTAND? NEVER!!!"_

_"DAD!!!!"_

* * *

Zoey's eyes snapped open and she sat up in bed, her entire naked body covered in sweat. She looked around and saw she was still in her hotel room at Hearthrome City. Zoey also noticed that Glameow was sleeping next to her. 

As streaks of sunlight broke through the window curtains, Zoey gently scratched Glameow behind the ears and thought, 'It was just some bad memories, but I'm okay now...I'm okay...' Deep down, however, Zoey's entire being was shaken to the core by those old flashbacks.

Without even thinking, Zoey looked at her arms. Several deep cuts had been sliced into them. Some of the cuts were almost completely healed while others seemed fresh. Not wanting to wake up Glameow, Zoey quietly climbed out of bed and walked into the bathroom.

Once there, she looked herself over in the mirror. Her entire body looked pale and clammy. Her breasts, which weren't even much to begin with, even seemed to have shriveled up. Her hair, once a bright red, now seemed to resemble a dull shade of pink.

'A lot has changed...since my last contest...' Zoey thought sheepishly. She opened up her bookbag on the counter and pulled out a long sharp knife. With a maniacal smirk, Zoey dug the blade deep into her skin. She clenched her teeth as she tried not to yell out in pain as she sliced at her arms.

"This is for the best...it's for the best..." she told herself. She dragged the knife swiftly across her arm like the bow of a violin.

Zoey watched as blood spilled from her arms and onto the floor, covering the white tiles with red crimson. Zoey cursed under her breath and thought, 'Dammit! Now I gotta clean that up before I leave!'

When she was finally done, Zoey quickly cleaned up all the blood. As she threw away a used paper towel, she suddenly felt light-headed. "Damn, I lost too much blood..." However, she was able to quickly shake it off.

"Meow!"

Zoey looked over her shoulder and saw Glameow smiling happily at her. Zoey returned the smile and returned Glameow to its PokeBall, saying, "We have a big day today, so it's good you got a lot of rest!"

After getting dressed and checking out of the hotel, Zoey stepped out into the city. She took in a deep breath and began to cross the road. Suddenly, just about halfway across the street, she suddenly felt something heavy hit her and she was slammed to the ground with extreme force.

Before losing consciousness, Zoey heard someone cry, "OH MY GOD! THAT GIRL JUST GOT HIT BY A CAR!!!"

* * *

A/N: I changed the names to use the English ones. By the way, this will be a multi-chapter story. 


	2. Chapter 2

_Blood..._

_All I can smell is blood..._

_God...why does it hurt so much?_

_Why does everything have to hurt?_

_Why...Why couldn't my father accept me for who I am?_

_Why can't he accept...that I like girls? Especially that girl named..._

* * *

Slowly, Zoey's eyes began to open. Suddenly, she felt a unbelievable rush of pain throughout her entire body. She tried to keep from screaming out, but she couldn't help it. 

"GAAAAHHH!!! HOLY FUCK, THAT HURTS!!!"

Within minutes, two nurses and a thin-looking doctor ran into the room with worried looks on their faces. 'Wait...I'm in...the hospital?' Zoey realized. She looked around and saw that she was hooked up to several machines in a big white bed.

"It's good to see that you're awake at least," said the doctor. He had a wrinkled, old face that seemed to sag with age. Once the pain had subsided, Zoey sat up in bed and asked, "W-What's going on? Why am I in the hospital?"

The doctor checked Zoey's pulse for a moment before replying, "You got hit by a car, I'm afraid. Luckily, you didn't have any life-threatening injuries..." Zoey tried to remember about getting hit, but the whole morning felt like a blur. She laid back down in bed and thought, 'God, my head hurts so much...'

"You had lost a lot of blood, though. It was fortunate that she brought you here in time before anything serious happened..." continued the doctor. This got Zoey's interest. "A girl brought me here?" She asked, "Did she say what her name was?"

The doctor pulled a small clipboard out of his coat pocket and looked over it a few times. "I think she said her name was 'Dawn'..." he finally said.

Zoey suddenly felt like the world stopped moving. "Dawn...Dawn saved me?" she muttered quietly.

The doctor nodded and replied, "She was really intent on saving you. She actually picked you up and carried you here, despite being covered in blood. She even stayed overnight while waiting for you to recover..."

Zoey just couldn't believe it. She gripped the sides of the bed tightly as she thought, 'Oh God...why did it have to be her? Why? Why did she have to come back into my life? Why couldn't she leave me alone already?'

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. One of the nurses turned around and opened the door. Zoey could feel her heart beat quicken when she saw Dawn walk into the room. Zoey blushed and thought, 'Oh my god...she's beautiful...'

During those few years after their last contest together, Zoey realized that while she had fallen, Dawn had risen to new heights. Dawn's long dark-blue hair was just as shiny and clean as it was the first time they met. Her eyes were the same as well. Her body, however, was a different story.

Zoey guessed that Dawn was probably somewhere between a B-cup and C-cup by now. Her hips and ass seemed to have filled out a bit, as well. "OH, ZOEY! YOU'RE AWAKE! I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE OKAY!" Dawn cried as she ran over and pulled Zoey into a hug. As their breasts rubbed slightly against each other, a small trail of blood trickled out of Zoey's nostrils.

The doctor pulled Dawn back and said, "I'm sorry, Miss, but I would request that you refrain from putting too much physical pressure on her. She still needs to heal..." Dawn grinned sheepishly and exclaimed, "Oh, yeah! You're right! Sorry about that!" Zoey just smiled in response, her heart still pounding from that hug.

"Well, I'll leave you two love birds alone now!" the doctor said as he and the two nurses left. Although they knew he was joking, both girls' faces flushed red when he said that. After a few minutes, Dawn finally said, "It's... really good to see you again, Zoey. I haven't seen you since that last contest..."

Zoey nodded and replied, "Yeah. You look like you've done pretty well for yourself since then..." Dawn smiled and Zoey noticed even her teeth look beautiful. Not wanting to fill her head with any more ideas, Zoey turned her gaze away.

Suddenly, Dawn got up and said, "Well, I'm sorry to leave so soon, but I need to get back to my apartment downtown. I need to clean up and take care of Pikachu..."

Zoey looked up at the other girl and asked, "You have a Pikachu now?" 'Why does that pokemon remind me of someone? Someone I knew...' Zoey wondered.

Dawn shook her head and said something that made Zoey feel like her heart just broke in half.

"It's not my Pikachu. It's Ash's. We're living together now and he's at work today..."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry about messing up with the ages. Here are the real ones:

Dawn - 27

Zoey - 27

Ash - 30

* * *

Zoey's entire body felt numb. 'No way...she's...she's living with Ash?' Zoey looked up at Dawn, hoping she was just joking around, but the blue-haired girl said nothing.

Finally summoning up the courage to speak, Zoey asked, "You and Ash...you aren't...dating...are you?" Dawn blushed a bit as she replied, "Well...no, we aren't. We've tried it a few times, but we couldn't seem to become anything more than friends..."

Zoey couldn't help but sigh a breath of relief. Suddenly, she noticed something else that came to her attention. "Why are you two living together, though? Isn't Ash from Kanto?" Zoey asked. Even though Dawn denied it, Zoey was still afraid that Ash and Dawn were going out.

"He said...that he was going to go back to Kanto when he was ready...but he never told me anything else besides that..." Dawn replied, quite confused about the whole thing herself.

Zoey sighed and stared up at the ceiling, her mind full of thought. Taking this as a sign to leave, Dawn said a quick goodbye and walked out the door. Immediately, Zoey began slamming her fists against her pillow.

"GODDAMMIT!" She screamed, "AFTER ALL THOSE YEARS, I COULDN'T EVEN THINK UP OF A SINGLE GOOD THING TO SAY TO HER! GOD!" Zoey took a few deep breaths to calm down, but she broke out crying instead.

'I love her so much...but...but she only cares for me as a friend...and after what happened in that last contest four years ago, I don't think she'll ever be comfortable around me again!' Zoey thought. She wanted to scream and shout with all her might, but she didn't. She knew she had to keep her feelings under control.

Zoey wasn't sure what to think anymore. She wanted to be with Dawn, but she couldn't risk losing to herself. If she gave into her feelings now, her family would never accept her again. Zoey wiped away some tears and thought, 'God...why does life have to be so cruel?'

Suddenly, Zoey realized something strange.

'Why hadn't no one mentioned about the cuts on my arms?'

Before anything else, though, sleep overtook Zoey and she drifted off, her dreams focusing on one single person: Dawn.


	4. Chapter 4

"Excuse me? Ma'am, please wake up..."

Zoey slowly opened her eyes and saw the doctor standing over her. "Ugh...what is it now?" Zoey groaned, her eyelids still heavy. The doctor smiled and exclaimed, "Sorry to have awoke you, but I am happy to inform you that you are healed enough to leave the hospital!"

Zoey sat up in bed and asked, "R-Really? But...my injuries..." "Besides losing some blood and suffering a small head injury, you're pretty fine..." replied the doctor. Zoey nodded in response. Suddenly, she realized she had nowhere to go.

"Where will I go..." she muttered to herself. Suddenly, a voice shouted, "SHE CAN LIVE WITH ME IF SHE WANTS!" To Zoey's surprise, it was Dawn who had suggested it. Dawn walked up to Zoey's bed and said, "I'm sure she'll like it there. She doesn't really have anyone else to go to, after all..."

Zoey couldn't keep herself from blushing as Dawn gave her a quick smile. The doctor nodded over the idea and exclaimed, "Understood! I'll send someone up with a wheelchair right away!" Once the doctor left the room, Zoey noticed that Dawn had this creepy big grin on her face.

"Uh...what's up with you?"

"Oh, sorry! I'm just so happy that we'll be roommates!"

'Yeah...roommates...with that damn bastard Ash...' Zoey thought coldly. She didn't truly hate Ash, but Zoey didn't like the idea of having to compete for Dawn's love. It was hard enough for her as it is. "Why does it have to be so hard?" Zoey muttered. Dawn gave her friend a curious look and asked, "What did you say?" Zoey quickly waved it off and exclaimed, "IT WAS NOTHING! NOTHING AT ALL!"

* * *

After finally checking out, Dawn led Zoey to her car. As the two girls walked into the parkway, the doctor from before looked out at them from a window. A nurse walked up to him and asked, "Doctor...why didn't you mention that girl's cuts on her arms? They were clearly visible..." 

The doctor sighed and replied, "I noticed them. It's just that the girl is going through some emotional problems, and I only know how to heal the body, not the soul..."

The nurse nodded a bit and said, "Do you...think she'll be okay?"

The doctor turned away from the window and began walking down the hall to his next patient. "I believe...that Miss Dawn may be her salvation..."

* * *

Once Dawn was on the main highway, Zoey said, "U-Uh...thanks alot for saving me, Dawn. I...I might have died if it wasn't for you..." Dawn smiled and replied, "It's no problem! I just couldn't believe that we'd end up meeting each other again in such a terrible situation. At least you're okay..." 

Zoey smiled and looked out the window to hide her embarassment. Dawn giggled and exclaimed, "You know, Zoey, you're kind of cute when you smile! You should do it more often!"

Zoey's face became even more flushed from this.

'DAMN IT! WHY DID SHE HAVE TO SAY THAT?'


	5. Chapter 5

After about an hour of awkward silence, the two girls had finally reached their destination: a small apartment building positioned next to a local gym. There was all kinds of graffiti written on it and a old hobo covered in rags was sitting by the door, a sullen look on his face.

"Well, here we are!" Dawn exclaimed happily, somewhat oblivious to the fact that she was living in a run-down old building most likely filled with dirty perverts. "This...is where you live?" Zoey asked. Dawn nodded and replied, "It's where I'm living for now, to be exact..."

Once Dawn parked her car, they climbed out and Zoey said, "I just don't understand how you could be living here! I mean, what about the money from all those contests? Didn't you-" Zoey stopped when she noticed that Dawn was shaking and there were tears in her eyes.

"I used all the money...to pay for my mother's operations...and her funeral..." Dawn replied sadly. Although Zoey wanted to drop it the subject to avoid any further tears, Dawn continued to speak about it.

"After our last contest together, my mother...my mother began to grow ill. I wasn't sure if I truly understood it at that time, or if I just didn't want to believe it. But deep down, I knew...I knew she was dying. My mother always believed in me and loved me...even when I when I just stood there and cried for what felt like hours."

"W-When she finally passed on...I was numb. Numb to everything. She was my only known family and now she's gone. I don't know what to do anymore..." As the blue-haired girl broke down crying, Zoey cursed herself for bringing up the subject in the first place.

Without warning, Dawn walked forward and pulled Zoey into a hug. Zoey's entire face grew hot as Dawn cried into her chest. Trying to calm the girl down, Zoey ran her fingers through Dawn's hair and told her that everything was gonna be okay.

Suddenly, a man's voice said, "Heh, it looks like you two are getting along together..." Zoey looked up and the color drained from her face when she realized that it was Ash Ketchum. Dawn broke off from Zoey and nervously cried, "A-Ash! W-What are you doing h-home so early?"

Even though Zoey was a lesbian, she had to admit Ash looked kind of hot. Not only had he grown taller and more well-built over the years, but he had ditched his usual cap and even let his hair grow a bit. He still had the same old smile, though. His Pikachu was sitting on his shoulder, its usual place.

"I decided to leave work early today so I can see Zoey. She did just come out of the hospital and all..." he replied. He walked over to Zoey and shook her hand. He smiled and said, "It's good that you weren't badly injured." Zoey blushed a bit and nodded.

Dawn noticed how Ash was staring at Zoey and she mumbled something under her breath. Deciding to speed things up, she said, "How about we all go inside now? It would be better to talk in there..." Ash agreed and lead Zoey upstairs, leaving Dawn to catch up.


	6. Chapter 6

Dawn and Ash's apartment room was on the eighth floor at the very top of the hotel. As Ash carried Zoey's bags up the long flight of stairs, Dawn turned to her and said, "I know it may be hard walking so much after your injuries, but there's no elevator and this was the only room we could afford, oddly enough! Sorry about it..."

Zoey waved it off, just glad to finally be near the one she secretly desired. After what seemed like hours of walking, they finally reached the apartment room. "You can sleep on the couch bed, if you like..." Ash said as he pulled out his room key.

Dawn slapped Ash in the back of the head (gently, of course) and exclaimed, "We will NOT have Zoey sleeping on the couch bed! She's my friend and I do not want to see my friends sleep on that shitty old piece of stuffing and leather!"

"No, Dawn, it's okay. A couch bed is fine with me. I don't want to be a burden..." Zoey said quickly. She was somewhat freightened by Dawn's obsessiveness with her well-being. Suddenly, Zoey began to consider the possibility that Dawn might actually lo-

"Um...Zoey?"

Zoey blinked a few times before snapping out of her little daydream and notice that Dawn was beckoning her inside. Zoey apologized and walked into the room. Right away, Zoey's nostrils were instantly filled with the smell of old cigarette buds and pokemon food all mixed into one.

Zoey covered her nose and cried, "What's that awful smell?" Dawn grinned sheepishly and replied, "I'm really sorry about that! You see, it always smelled like this, but I think Ash's rare 'I'm-depressed-and-I-need-a-smoke' habits are somewhat to blame..."

Ash, who was in the kitchen, peeked his head into the room and exclaimed, "I TOLD YOU NOT TO TELL HER ABOUT THAT!" Dawn just chuckled a bit and ignored him. That was when Dawn realized something odd. She stared Zoey right in the eyes and asked, "Hey, Zoey, how come you've been so quiet lately?"

"It's because I love you and I'm afraid to say it outloud by accident - oh, shit! I just said it!" Was what Zoey was about to say, but she quickly changed her mind and replied, "I guess I feel a little tired. After leaving the hospital and walking up all those stairs and all..."

Dawn nodded and procceded to open up the couch bed. When Zoey noticed how well-formed Dawn's tight ass had become over the years, she instantly felt blood rush up her nose.

* * *

After a quick meal and some light conversation between the three, Dawn decided it was time for them to go to bed. "But why?" Ash asked as he played poker with Pikachu and Torterra, "I almost beat these chumps!" Dawn glared at him and replied, "Stop being such a dumbass! Zoey needs rest! Besides, what are you betting on: poke pellets?" 

Seeing that she had a point, Ash folded and got ready for bed. Once everyone dressed into their night clothes and said goodnight, the entire room became silent. Zoey wasn't sure why, but she couldn't seem to fall asleep as she laid on the raggedy old couch bed.

Sighing, Zoey grabbed a book and a booklight out of her bag and began to read. She had just finished reading three pages when a voice asked:

"So...have you told her yet?"

Zoey looked up and saw Ash staring at her with a serious look on his face.

* * *

_A/N: I know I probably didn't write this too well, but I'll do better next time! I promise!_


	7. Chapter 7

"Tell who what?"

Ash shook his head in disappointment. He sat down next to Zoey and said, "Don't play dumb with me, woman! I'm talking about you and Dawn! I know you have it in for her! Ever since what happened at that last contest-"

Zoey placed her hand over Ash's mouth before he could finish speaking. "Do you want Dawn to hear you?" she hissed, her eyes glancing over at the other girl's bedroom door. Ash moved Zoey's hand away and whispered, "Look, let's just go out on the roof, okay? We can talk there..."

* * *

The moment Zoey walked out onto the roof, she realized she could finally breathe again. "God, your apartment room smells like crap..." Zoey panted as she took in a deep breath of air. Ash nodded and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter from his pocket. "This is my favorite place in this whole stinkin' hotel..." he replied casually. 

Once Zoey finally freed her nostrils of that awful stench, she asked, "So...what's this you say about me and Dawn?" Ash slipped his cigarette in between his lips as he said, "I know you like her, okay? Ever since that last contest."

"Is it...really that obvious?" Zoey asked, her cheeks turning bright red.

Ash nodded and removed the cigarette from his mouth so he could blow out a small puff of smoke. A small smirk formed on his lips when he said, "Also...I think Dawn might like you too..."

"How do you know?"

"Well, when I was shaking your hand earlier, I gave you 'the flirting glare' to see if Dawn would react. It just so happened that she did! However, I'm not entirely sure on the matter..."

Zoey couldn't believe what she was hearing. "YOU WANT ME AND DAWN TO HOOK UP?" she cried, giving Ash a incredulous look. Ash grinned sheepishly and replied, "Well, what else do you expect me to do? I can't return home to her yet...I still need to find a way to make it up to her..."

"Who are you talking about?"

Suddenly, Ash had a sad thoughtful look on his face, like he was remembering days long past. Sighing, Ash said, "I'm talking about a girl named Misty. I hurt her long ago and she still hasn't forgiven me. I really love her, I do, but I want to make it up to her. I want her to know that she's special to me and that I DO care for her..."

Wanting to use this situation as a way to divert from the talk about her love for Dawn, Zoey decided to ask Ash some more about this 'Misty' girl. "When did you last see her, anyway?" she asked.

Ash shook his head sadly and let out a sigh. 'God, he sighs alot!' Zoey thought. Ash looked up at the starry sky and said:

"The last time we ever saw each other was at that last contest..."

Zoey was a little surprised, but she didn't let this unwind her. 'So...it seems that the last contest was the beginning of all our miseries! Who would have thought?'

After a few moments of silence, Ash said, "If you want, Zoey, I can help you hook up with Dawn..."

It didn't take long for Zoey to consider this offer.

"I'LL DO IT! I WILL BECOME DAWN'S LOVER!"

"...You might not want to shout that out into the heavens too much..."

"Sorry..."


	8. Chapter 8

After finally making it her goal to make Dawn love her, Zoey realized something that put a hole in her plan. "How exactly do I make her love me?" Zoey asked. Ash, who was still staring up at the night sky, blew out a puff of smoke and replied, "You need to figure that out on your own..."

"BUT...BUT DIDN'T YOU SAY YOU WOULD HELP ME?"

"Oh...right. Sorry about that, Zoey! I sometimes like to get into character, if you will..."

Zoey let out a disgruntled sigh and said, "Never mind that, Ash. Listen, I need to know as much about Dawn as I can if I'm going to seduce her into loving me! ...If you really think about it, that doesn't sound like a nice way to get a lover, does it?"

"In the time of dinosaurs, men fought over things as mundane as living quarters. Love is no different, even now. We must use whatever is at our disposal to fufill our desires. You would be wise not to forget that..." Ash replied with a serious look on his face.

Zoey reminded herself to keep that in mind, although she wasn't too sure what it meant. Zoey stared at Ash for a few moments, deciding that if she wasn't a lesbian, she would definitely go for him. "By the way," she said, "What exactly did you do to this Misty girl? I know you said you hurt her, but how?"

Ash was worried that he would be asked this. Without even talking, Ash reached into his pocket and pulled out a small picture. He handed it to Zoey and said, "Look at these picture..." Zoey looked at it and immediately noticed Ash in the picture.

Standing around him was a tall tan-skinned man with slit-like eyes, a brown-haired girl with abnormally large breasts for her age, and a small black-haired boy with glasses. Pikachu was in the picture as well. They all had happy, smiling faces in the picture. Zoey handed it back to Ash and asked, "Okay, I saw the picture...so what does it mean? Was that brown-haired girl...Misty?"

Ash shook his head and replied, "No. That girl's name is May. I traveled with her and her brother Max, that short boy with the glasses, during my adventures in Hoenn. After that, we hadn't seen each other again until that last contest..."

Suddenly, Zoey realized something horrorfying. That girl...May...her face and body...it looked...it looked so simliar to...to...

Zoey stared into Ash's dark eyes and whispered, "That girl...she isn't the one that...that..."

Ash's eyes were hidden by his messy hair as he said, "Yes. Long ago, at that last contest, the gunman that killed seven people four years ago...that was May..."

Zoey couldn't believe it. May looked so happy and sweet in that picture. 'What could have drove her to such extremes?' Zoey wondered. Ash turned his face away from Zoey when he said, "It hurts just thinking about it. She killed seven people, including her brother, and then shot herself in the face. It's...it's horrible..."

"Well...although you and Misty were at the shooting, how did that ruin your relationship?" Zoey asked. She knew she was delving too deep into this, but she had to find out more about that last contest.

Ash covered his face with his hands. Through his fingers, Zoey could hear him say, "Before the shooting started, May appeared before me and...and..."

"And what?"

"And she confessed her love to me. She told me...she told me that I was all she ever wanted..."

"Wow. She must have been serious about you, then..."

"Yeah. But I was here with Misty, and when May kissed me, Misty had walked in and she saw us..."

"Oh, Ash, I'm...I'm so sorry..."

Well, that's not even half of it! Misty left me and I was furious with May. I hit her and screamed at her. I was so angry at her that I didn't care once about her feelings. I just let all of my fury out on her. After that, I left her to drown in her guilt..."

"Then...the shooting..."

"Y-Yeah. I guess...I guess May just found no will to live after that. She had let herself get sucked into a delusional world of grandeur and she paid the ultimate price for it. Unfortunately, so did her little brother and several others..."

When all was said and done, Ash wiped his eyes and yawned. "I think we better go inside. We need sleep, especially you. Come on..." Zoey nodded and silently followed him all the way back to the apartment room.

For the rest of the night, a strange, uncomfortable air of silence befell both of them...

* * *

A/N: More about the 'last contest'! I will eventually make a special chapter that depicts the whole series of events that transpires, so don't beg me to put up more. I'm trying to keep alot of it under wraps until the time comes.

Anyway, enjoy this chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

The next morning, Zoey woke to the smell of waffles. She climbed out of bed and realized she was still in Dawn and Ash's apartment room. 'I guess I forget I was here for a moment...after all that happened last night...' Zoey thought as she headed to the bathroom.

After taking a quick shower and getting dressed, Zoey walked into the small kitchen. A plate with waffles for her was already at the table. Dawn and Ash were already seated and eating. "Good morning, Zoey!" Dawn exclaimed happily, "How was your first night in our apartment?"

Zoey started cutting up one of the waffles as she said, "It was good. Thank you so much for taking me after the accident. You didn't really have to, either..." Dawn waved it off and replied, "Don't be silly! It was my pleasure! I hadn't seen you for so long, anyway! It really is nice to see you again, though..."

Zoey blushed and ate the rest of her breakfast in silence, with small glances at Ash every now and then. 'I wonder how he's gonna help me win Dawn's heart?' Zoey thought. When everyone had finished eating, Ash took the plates over to the sink and began cleaning.

"Ash always offers to clean after meals! He's so sweet!" Dawn said with a quick smile at Ash, who was busy at work. "You two go to the mall ahead of me! I'll catch up!" Ash called over his shoulder. Zoey winced. 'He never told me about going to the mall!' she thought nervously.

Suddenly, Dawn grabbed Zoey's hand and exclaimed, "Come on, Zoey! We'll take my car!" Zoey's face flushed deep red as she clenched Dawn's hand tightly and felt herself be practically dragged down the stairs. Once the two girls were gone, a smirk formed on Ash's lips.

He blew a low whistling sound and Pikachu came rushing into the room, its cheeks practically glowing with excitement. He pulled a small red cellphone out of his pocket and opened it. He scrolled down his list of phone numbers until it came to 'PAUL'.

Seeing that name brought back bad memories. A scene of Paul and Misty kissing flashed across Ash's mind before he dialed the number.

He held it up near his lips and said, "Hey, Paul. It's me, Ash. Listen, I was thinking...how about you and your girlfriend come and visit me and Dawn at the mall today? Plus, I think it's high time we have another battle. Anyway, even if you don't come, I still know where you live. So...see ya there."

Ash put his phone away and he couldn't even help but smile. His hand clenched tightly on the pokeballs attached to his belt. "Finally...I'll be able to win Misty back!"

Without wasting another second, Ash picked up Pikachu and rushed out the door. As he ran down the stairs, he didn't realize that not only did he forget to lock the door, but that someone was slowly entering the room.

That person pulled a small piece of paper and left it on the dinner table. And with that, the shadowy figure turned around and left, making sure to close the door on his way out. A victorious cackling laughter could be heard throughout the apartment afterwards...

* * *

A/N: I feel like I kinda messed up with the writing in the end of this chapter (I probably did). Also, a pokemon battle will be coming up! Ash Vs. Paul! 


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Since it's the tenth chapter, it will be extra long!

* * *

During the entire drive to the local mall, Zoey felt embarrassingly nervous sitting next to Dawn. Although they had been in the car before, the additional thought of Dawn possibly loving her made Zoey feel all the more uncomfortable. 

Once they got there, Dawn stopped in front of the mall entrance and said, "Hey, Zoey! You can go inside now if you want! I'll drop you off here while I go find somewhere to park."

Nodding, Zoey climbed out of the car and watched as Dawn drove into the parking lot.

'What the hell is going on here?' Zoey thought as she walked into the mall, 'Why didn't Ash tell me about this? Is he planning something to get me and Dawn together? I just don't understand-'

Suddenly, Zoey felt a strange tingling on her right arm.

She looked down and saw thousands of bleeding cuts on her arm. Blood was flowing everywhere, covering her entire body.

The pain was so unbearable yet ecstatic at the same time. Zoey was about to let out a scream, but then stopped. Her arm wasn't bleeding at all.

'W-What...the hell was that?' Zoey wondered as she took a seat to catch her breath.

Lifting up her arm, Zoey saw that it was perfectly fine, albeit some barely-visible marks of her previous cutting. Suddenly, Zoey realized something else: she hadn't cut herself at all for the last few days.

Zoey's entire body began to shake as thoughts of slicing her body with that bloody knife filled her mind. Her need to cut herself was starting to reemerge.

She clutched her head tightly and told herself, 'Stop it! Stop it, dammit! I don't want to cut myself! I'm happy! I'm happy! I don't want to punish myself! Damn, why does it have to come back again NOW? Why? Why?'

Suddenly, another painful memory came back to her: The day her own parents disowned her for being a lesbian. Zoey's face soon turned from fear to anger.

'Damn them!' she thought, her entire body shaking now with hatred, 'Damn them all to hell! What kind of parents are they, disowning me and banishing me from my own home? Fuck them! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! IT'S THEIR FAULT I CUT MYSELF!'

At this point, Zoey was completely oblivious to everything around her. That was why she didn't notice when Dawn walked in and saw her friend shaking terribly on a seat, her eyes filled with tears.

Dawn ran over to Zoey and gasped when she saw Zoey seemed to be having a nervous breakdown.

'I was afraid of this. Damn...why did this have to happen to you, Zoey?' Dawn thought as she quickly pulled out her cell phone. After a few seconds, Ash picked up.

"Hey, Dawn! What's up? You guys at the mall yet?" Ash asked as he made a quick sharp turn down the road.

"Ash, Zoey is having a nervous breakdown! It must have something to do with the cuts on her arms I saw when she was in the hospital!" Dawn cried. She sounded like she was close to tears.

Ash cursed under his breath and replied, "Listen, Dawn, I'll be at the mall soon. Just see if you can get Zoey under control, and then we'll take her to the hospital, okay?" Dawn nodded and looked over at Zoey again. The poor red-haired girl was still in the same position as before.

"Still...if you knew about the scars, why didn't you tell the doctor before?" Ash shouted as the question popped into his head.

"I thought it was from being hit by the car! Even the doctors thought that! We weren't really sure and she didn't say anything about them!" Dawn shouted. This time, Ash could tell she was crying.

When the mall came into view, Ash said, "Okay, Dawn! I'll be in there in a moment! For now, try to help calm down Zoey!" Dawn nodded and put away her cell phone. Dawn turned around, but she froze in her tracks.

Zoey was gone.

* * *

Going way over the speed limit, Ash drove into the mall parking lot and quickly found a spot. Without a second to lose, he climbed out and dashed into the building. The moment he stepped inside, though, Ash knew something was wrong. 

He barely even had to search to conclude that Dawn and Zoey had already left. 'Why didn't she wait for me? Was Zoey's condition really that urgent...or did something else happen?' Ash wondered.

Suddenly, a familiar voice sneered, "Ah. So it IS you, Ash. I thought you wouldn't show up..." Ash spun around and what he saw made his heart sank. Standing before him was none other than Paul. He had a cocky grin on his face.

What made Ash feel uncomfortable was seeing Misty standing next to him, one arm wrapped around his. "Hello...Ash." she said quickly, her voice emotionless. She didn't even bother looking him in the eye.

Although it hurt him to see Misty treat him like this, Ash knew he couldn't follow up with his challenge. His first priority was to find Dawn and Zoey. "I'm sorry, Paul," Ash replied, "But there's been a change in plans. I-"

"You're running away...again?" Paul snickered, that conceited sneer still plastered on his face.

Ash tried to ignore him as he headed past them, but then Paul turned to him and called, "You pathetic loser! You'll always be a loser! That's why she left you!" Misty hung her head in shame, unable to do anything to stop Paul's vocal attack.

Suddenly, Ash swung around and his clenched fist connected with Paul's face. Misty barely let out a cry of shock as Paul was knocked to the floor, a spurt of blood flying from his nose.

Misty tried to help Paul up, but he just pushed her away while spitting out a flurry of curses. This just pissed Ash off even more. "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? YOU FUCKIN' BASTARD!" Paul screamed, his nose red and dripping with blood.

Instead of taking a swing, Paul pulled out a pokeball and shouted, "LISTEN, BITCH! UNLIKE YOU, I KNOW HOW TO SETTLE CONFLICTS THE RIGHT WAY: WITH POKEMON BATTLES! YOU AREN'T GETTING AWAY SO EASILY, YOU FUCKER!"

Ash let out a sigh. He dug himself too deep into this mess to get out. 'I'm sorry, Dawn...I'm gonna be late...' he thought as he pulled a pokeball out his pocket. "Do you really have to do this?" Misty asked, hoping for Paul to reconsider.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP, BITCH!" Paul screamed as he lifted his hand and slapped Misty hard across the face.

That was the final straw. It took all of Ash's will power to keep himself from running to Misty's side as he exclaimed, "ALRIGHT, PAUL! I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE! LET'S...BATTLE! 3 VS. 3!"

"FINE WITH ME!"

Paul snatched a pokeball off his belt and threw it high into the air. The ball snapped open and, in a burst of light, an Electivire emerged from within. 'So...he decided to keep it...' Ash thought as he chose his own pokeball.

"Alright!" Ash exclaimed once he made his choice, "I choose you, Ambipom! Go and win!" Ash tossed his pokeball into the air and a purple monkey with two hand-like tails came out of it. "HEH! YOU STILL CARRY AROUND THE PIECE OF SHIT, I SEE!" Paul said.

Ash ignored him and shouted to his pokemon, "OKAY, AMBIPOM, ATTACK WITH FURY SWIPES!" Ambipom nodded in response and dashed at Electivire with all its might. Suddenly, just as it was about to attack, Paul ordered, "ELECTIVIRE, USE THUNDER PUNCH!"

Without enough time to dodge it, Electivire's electrified fist slammed against Ambipom's face, sending it sprawling across the floor. Ash cursed under his breath. 'Damn, Ambipom is my weakest Pokemon in terms of defense! I knew Paul was strong, but I didn't know he was THIS strong! I hope I can win…'

Luckily, Ambipom quickly regained its composure. "ALRIGHT, AMBIPOM!" Ash cried, "USE SWIFT THIS TIME!" Ambipom leapt high into the air and swung its tails, sending a flurry of stars at Electivire's face. The giant electric pokemon let out a cry of pain, but this didn't faze Paul.

"ELECTIVIRE, USE THUNDERBOLT, NOW!" Paul screamed. Electivire let out a roar as a blast of electricity flew from its body. Ambipom easily dodged the attack, however. 'Fuck! He's pretty damn good!' Paul thought furiously. Ash gave Ambipom a high-five and exclaimed, "Nice work, buddy!"

Cursing under his breath, Paul decided his next move. "ELECTIVIRE, HIT 'EM WITH ZAP CANNON!" Electivire nodded and opened its massive jaw. Several seconds later, a huge electric blast fired from its mouth, completely overwhelming Ambipom.

Ash gritted his teeth as he watched Ambipom fall to the ground, defeated. Ash returned Ambipom to its Pokeball and sighed. 'You did well, my friend…' he thought as he prepared for his next Pokemon.

Suddenly, he felt Pikachu tap him lightly on the head. He looked up at his little yellow friend and asked, "Oh, Pikachu! You…wanna fight too?" Pikachu nodded in response, so Ash exclaimed, "ALRIGHT, I CHOOSE PIKACHU AS MY NEXT POKEMON!"

Paul smirked as he pulled out another Pokeball. With a flick of the wrist, the ball was tossed into the air and unleashed a powerful-looking Infernape onto the battlefield. "Ah! Pretty good-looking Infernape! You must have been training it well!" Ash remarked in an almost sarcastic tone.

"ALRIGHT, INFERNAPE, USE FIRE BLAST ON PIKACHU!"

Unfortunately, this battle was coming to an end. Just as Infernape prepared its attack, a familiar noise filled this air. "That…was a gunshot!" Ash cried. Another gunshot rang through the air and Misty let out a cry. Bystanders began screaming and running out of the building, fear getting the better of them.

Paul, however, wasn't buying it. "DON'T FUCK WITH ME, ASH KETCHUM! YOU WILL NOT RUN AWAY FROM THIS BATTLE! I WILL DESTROY YOU, YOU PIECE OF-"

Paul was cut off as a single bullet flew through the back of his head and ripped out of his forehead, causing him to collapse to the ground in a bloody heap. Ash looked up and saw a mysterious robed figure standing only a few feet away from them, a gun drawn.

Almost instinctively, Ash ran over to Paul to check his heartbeat. However, right away he knew what the result would be. "He's…he's dead…" Ash whispered. He looked over at Misty, expecting to see her cry over Paul's death. Instead, she just sat there, her eyes wide with fear and confusion. This was when Ash noticed how old and tired Misty looked, as if she hadn't had a decent night's sleep in ages.

Ash was about to say something when the killer hidden underneath the robes began laughing like a maniac. "Too bad about Paul. I was aiming for you…" hissed a voice that, surprisingly, resembled that of a woman's. Ash glared at the killer and shouted, "WHO ARE YOU? WHY THE HELL DID YOU DO THIS? WHY ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?"

"All will be explained soon enough…" replied the killer before running off. Ash didn't chase after her, however. "Ash…why…who was that…?" Misty managed to say.

Ash, his entire body shaking, stood up and replied, "I'm not sure, but…I've heard her voice before…" That was when Misty finally broke down crying.

"I'm so, so sorry, Ash…I'm so sorry…" she said in-between her tears. Ash wrapped his arms around her and whispered, "It's okay…I...I understand…I don't hate you..."

* * *

A/N: Yeah...Zoey has a mental breakdown...and now Dawn has to go find her? Also, who exactly IS the mysterious killer that not only placed a letter in Ash's apartment, but shot Paul in the head?

IT'S CALLED DRAMA...I think...

Also, Dawn never asked Zoey about the cuts because not only did she not want to upset her, she also didn't want to think that Zoey would actually hurt herself like that.


	11. Chapter 11

By the time Misty had finally calmed down, the police had already reached the mall. Immediately, a burly officer pulled Ash aside and began questioning him. Ash, however, knew he didn't have the patience nor the time at the moment to talk. He had to find Dawn and Zoey as soon as possible.

"Look! I already told you I didn't do anything! Now I have other things to attend to!" Ash snapped furiously at the officer.

Unfortunately, showing a harsh attitude did nothing but make Ash appear even more suspicious. Shaking his head, the officer shook his head and replied, "Listen, son, acting like that isn't helping anyone, especially not you! Now, we need you to come down to the station and-"

As Ash and the policeman continued to argue, Misty glanced over at Paul's body as a pool of blood formed under it. Without a word, a nearby officer stood over the body with a look of pure disbelief, tears streaming down the sides of his cheeks. That was when Misty realized that man was Paul's cousin, who she had met at a party once.

Looking around, Misty caught sight of two or three more bodies lying on the floor, cold and unmoving. 'This is so horrible...' Misty thought sadly, 'So many people were hurt...and Paul...why...why did this have to happen?' Suddenly, she felt a hand wrap around her own. Looking up, she saw that it was Ash.

"C'mon...let's go..." he whispered as he pulled her out to the parking lot, somehow getting past all of the police without being noticed. Once they reached the car, Ash took off his hat and wiped his forehead. "How'd you convince him you didn't do it?" Misty asked as Ash opened the car door for her.

"The police these days are nothing but fakes nowadays," Ash remarked as he got into the driver's seat and turned on the engine, "All I had to do was slip a hundred-dollar bill into his open palm and I was good to go!" Misty didn't say anything as the car drove out of the parking lot and moved onto the highway.

After a few minutes of silent driving, Misty looked at Ash and pleaded, "Ash...listen...about what happened four years ago at that contest...I didn't mean to get so upset with you...I...I...just felt betrayed, and I-" Ash cut Misty off by bending over and kissing her powerfully on the lips.

When they seperated, Ash quickly turned his eyes back to the road and said, "Misty...I'm not mad at you...I never was. I blame myself for allowing May to have taken advantage of me like that...I don't love her, Misty...I love you...and nothing will ever change that..." At this point, Misty couldn't stop the tears of happiness that began to flow from her eyes.

"Ash...I love you..."

"I love you, too...Misty..."

* * *

_Somewhere out of town..._

Harry Luxford, owner of a small gunshop, had expected today to be like any other day, slow and uneventful. Instead, he found himself trying to make a succesful business deal with a psychotic red-head. "Listen, little girlie!" he snapped, "If you plan on buying one of these hand-crafted weapons, you're gonna need to act a little more civilized!"

The red-head wasn't about to give up however, it seemed. "F-Fine...just give me a pistol or something...I don't care..." she hissed as she slammed money down on the table. After showing her license and everything, the girl smiled to herself as she stuffed the gun into her pocket and ran out into her car.

As he watched her drive away, Harry let out a cough and thought, 'Hmm...Zoey, eh? Looks a little messed up in the noggin, if you know what I mean...'

* * *

"DAWN! ZOEY! ARE YOU GUYS IN HERE?" 

As Ash and Misty stepped into the apartment complex, it became clearly evident that neither girl was present at the moment. Misty looked around a bit and muttered, "So...this is where you've been living for four years? How depressing..."

"Oh, crap! I was hoping that Dawn had found Zoey and brought her back here, but I was wrong! This isn't good!" Ash exclaimed, his face covered in sweat. Suddenly, Pikachu hopped out of nowhere and picked up a small folded piece of paper on the table.

"Pi! Pika Pika Pi!"

Taking the letter from Pikachu's little fingers, Ash slowly opened it up. His eyes barely scanned over it as he started to read aloud.

" 'Ash, I want to finish up our little confrontation from before. Come and meet me at the docks tonight at 8 p.m. Be prepared...' "

As he looked over the letter for the umptenth time, Ash's hands began to tremble. His entire body almost seemed to be shaking with fear. Not fear for his own life, but fear for others. Misty looked down at the letter, than up at Ash.

"...Ash...please...please don't go...you'll get killed...just like Paul! I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU!" Misty cried. Ash just slipped the paper into his pocket and turned to Misty. Suddenly, his serious face broke out into a playful grin.

"Well," he said, "You always used to keep me out of trouble when we were kids. It would be best if you came, too...you are the seme, anyway..." This resulted in Misty giving him a rather large bonk on the head. 'Just like old times!' Ash thought as he rubbed the swollen bump that had formed on his scalp.

'Still...it looks like it's up to Dawn to find Zoey now...I really hope everything ends up all right in the end...'

* * *

A/N: Yeah...Dawn's M.I.A., Zoey's still cracked, Ash has been called out on a challenge, Misty's his girlfriend again, and Pikachu actually does something! SHOOP DA WHOOP! 


	12. Chapter 12

The crescent moon shone brightly in the dark night sky when Ash and Misty finally reached the docks. His hand nervously letting go of the wheel, Ash switched off the car's ignition and glanced out the window. There seemed to be a long figure standing near the water's edge, completely alone. 'That must be her...' Ash thought, deciding to classify this mysterious person as a woman due to her voice.

"Are...are you sure we should do this? You don't know what'll happen..." Misty whispered into Ash's ear, "You didn't even bring a gun or any kind of weapon to protect yourself..." Her entire body was shivering.

Ash gave Misty a reassuring smile and replied, "Don't worry. I'll have everything under control, okay? I promise I'll be safe..." Kissing Misty once on the lips, Ash swung open the car door and stepped out. Even though he tried to look brave, his heart was pounding fast and he was covered in sweat. 'I...I could really get myself killed here...'

The figure up ahead glanced over her shoulder and hissed, "...Ah. You made it. I was getting worried you wouldn't come..." Ash tried once again to think of who was the owner of that voice, but he still came up empty.

Putting on a tough face, Ash smirked and said, "C'mon...who wouldn't say 'no' to come out to the docks in the middle of the night to meet a killer who hates me for some reason?" His sarcasm didn't seem very well-appreciated.

After a few moments of silence, the female figure finally asked, "...Tell me, are you still confused on my true identity?" Before Ash could reply, though, the figure stepped forward until she was close enough to be visible in the car's headlights. Pulling down her hood, the figure revealed herself to be...

Kanata.

Ash's eyes widened in shock as a sudden explosion of memories flowed through his mind. 'Kanata...that girl with short purple hair and a Grumpig...she was a coordinator, just like May...' Now, after so many years, her purple hair had grown past her shoulders and her face was devoid of any innocence she once possessed long ago.

"You're...Kanata, aren't you?" Ash asked, his mind still numb from shock. Misty, however, who had never met Kanata, just continued to watch through the car window in complete confusion. Smirking at Ash's expression, Kanata said, "What's wrong? Were you hoping for it to be...May?"

"What? May? What...what are you talking about?" Ash was shocked enough to see that Paul's killer was really Kanata, but why would he possibly think that it was May, who was dead now? The purple-haired woman's reaction to Ash's question was also quite shocking, too.

Kanata's face scrunched up in anger and she screamed, "You bastard! You heartless...bastard! How could you have possibly forgotten about what happened between you and May? Hell, how could you have forgotten that it's YOUR fault she's dead! If you had just accepted her, she would still be alive right now! It's your fault...it's your fault the girl I loved is dead!"

'Kanata loved May, huh? Why am I not surprised...?' For some reason, this sudden realization on Kanata's part made Ash feel calmer. Clutching the sides of her head as if in pain, Kanata continued to ramble about in her insanity. Ash just stood there and listened in silence.

"Fuck you! Fuck you and that stuck-up whore in your car over there! You can all go to hell, do you hear? May...she deserved better! How could she have fallen in love with you of all people? You're nothing! You wouldn't be able to make May happy! Only I could make May happy! Only me! We belonged together, but you had to go and ruin everything! Why did you hurt her so, Ash Ketchum? Why?"

Gulping down a huge wad of spit, Ash replied, "Kanata...I'm sorry, but I just couldn't bring myself to love May. I didn't even want to TRY and love her. She came onto me when me and Misty were almost an official couple, hoping that I would fall for someone with a much curvier body, but...it's the person inside that counts, Kanata. That's...that's why I couldn't love May..."

This seemed to have pissed off Kanata more than before. Pulling out her gun, she aimed the barrel directly at Misty and screeched, "IT'S YOUR FAULT! IT'S YOUR FAULT!" Realizing what was going to happen, Ash reached into his pocket, quickly pulled out something silver, and aimed it right at Kanata's chest.

It was a pistol. A Browing 9-Millimeter High Power Pistol, to be exact. The edges of the slender gun gleamed in the moonlight. Misty's eyes widened in shock when she saw the weapon in Ash's hands. 'He...he didn't tell me that he brought a gun!' the orange-haired beauty thought nervously, hoping that Ash really wasn't planning on shooting Kanata. At most, he could just scare her off...

"If you don't put down your gun in the next thirty seconds, Kanata...I'll shoot you dead!"

Ash had never looked so serious about anything in his life as he did right now. He was willing to do anything to protect Misty...even kill someone. After a few seconds, Kanata smirked and her gun slipped out of her grip. Ash let out a sigh of relief and lowered his pistol to the ground.

"You're impressive, Ash Ketchum. Your love for Misty reminds me much of my feelings for May. Unfortunately..." As she continued talking, Kanata began to slowly walk backwards until she was standing close to the edge of the dock. "Unfortunately...unlike me, you finally have the person you love, but...so will I, too...soon enough..."

Removing the robes she was wearing, Kanata revealed she had several rectangle-shaped weights tied to her body. Still smiling, Kanata took one more step back...and fell into the water. Letting out a cry, Ash ran forward and looked down into the pitch-black ocean before him. A few bubbles rose to the surface and then...nothing.

"...Is she...?" Misty asked with a quivering voice as she stepped out of the car and walked up next to Ash, who was trembling. Ash nodded once before dropping onto his knees and cry.

"M-Maybe...maybe it was my fault...my fault that May died...my fault that May had to go and kill all those people, even her little brother Max...all my fault..."

Misty wrapped a comforting arm around Ash and whispered, "No...it wasn't your fault. It wasn't your fault..."

* * *

Even in the darkness, Zoey could make out the mansion slowly coming into view. As she came closer and closer, her car picking up speed, a evil smirk formed on Zoey's lips. Reaching to the car seat beside her, she grabbed the handle of the pistol she bought earlier that day. 

The mansion she was driving to...was the one place where she is judged completely and utterly on character alone...

It was her home...it was her parents' home.


	13. Chapter 13

Mr. Samuel Richards ran his fingers through his greasy reddish-gray perm as he flipped a page of the paperback novel he was reading. Although his only source of light was a dimly-lit shaded lamp, his special glasses improved his sight. A cigar balanced firmly in between his jaws as his eyes scanned each page.

His wife, Juliana Richards, was busy knitting something while sitting in her recliner chair. It was late at night, and neither of them had expected any visitors, considered how far out of town they lived. However, those thoughts were shattered the moment they heard the doorbell ring. Glancing at a nearby clock, Mr. Richards saw that it was currently 7:09 PM. He gently tossed his book to the side and pushed himself up off the couch.

Before he opened the door, the bell rang a second time. Grunting, Mr. Richards had expected it to be some sleazy door-to-door salesman with nothing to do. Instead, the one standing in front of their door with a serious look on her face...

...Was their daughter, Zoey.

* * *

An awkward silence filled the small kitchen as Zoey and her father sat across from each other, neither of them able to come up with the right words. Out of the corner of her eye, Zoey could see her mother was busy heating up a pot of coffee for the both of them, as if it was needed. At this point, Zoey felt so wound up she could scream. 

"So..."

It was Zoey's father who said this. Happily accepting the coffee, he gripped the steaming cup tightly in his hands and his eyes darted about everywhere. He seemed to be having trouble bringing himself to look at his own daughter. Zoey noticed this, and she let out an annoyed grunt.

"I'm disappointed, Mr. Richards...I was really hoping you would have gotten over your phobia..." Zoey replied nonchalantly. She avoided calling him 'father', all in the hopes it would piss him off even more. Both her face and her voice seemed devoid of emotion. In fact, she looked positively bored out of her mind. Mrs. Richards placed a cup of coffee in front of Zoey, too, but it just sat there untouched.

Taking a quick sip of coffee, Mr. Richards snarled, "Tell me...why have you come back? Are you running low on money and think you can mooch some off of us, you dyke? Or are you here to brag about how many girls you've fucked in the last few years?"

Hearing her father say these things hurt her, but it didn't matter much; Zoey had stopped considering these two people as her 'parents' the day they disowned her. Instead, Zoey just cracked a smile and chuckled to herself, as if she knew some great deep secret.

"You're a riot, Mr. Richards. Just so you know, I haven't had sex yet...I'm still a virgin. I plan on saving it for that special someone...you know, that girl I kissed publicly on the day of that incident?" Mr. Richards knew Zoey was talking about that last contest, but he just gritted his teeth and nodded slightly.

"Even better, I met up with her again after all these years. Plus, we're living together now. Sure, her childhood friend, who's a boy, just so you know, is staying with us, but he fully accepts my feelings for Zoey since he has a girlfriend of his own! Of course, thanks to you guys and your bull shit, I'll never be able to be with her...it's all your fault...heh heh...heh heh heh..."

As Zoey's insane laughter increased in volume, both of her parents shrunk back in fear. Lifting up one of her arms, Zoey pulled down the sleeve and revealed various cuts that covered her flesh, still laughing all the while. Some of them were even still leaking of blood. "DO YOU SEE?" She practically screamed, "DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME? I'M A CRAZY PSYCHO LESBO, AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! BASTARD! BITCH!"

Zoey then pulled down her other sleeve, showing cuts to be evident there as well. Then, she thrust an arm into her pocket and retrieved a small pistol from her pocket. As Mrs. Richards let out a shriek, Mr. Richards quickly tried to grab for a phone. Right before he could grab it, Zoey pulled the trigger...

* * *

'Oh, please! Oh please let me get there in time! Oh, please!'

Dawn was driving over the speed limit as she rushed down the lone highway, a large farm-like landscape surrounding her. After getting some information from a man at a gun shop and off the internet about Zoey's personal life, Dawn found out about how the poor redhead had been disowned by her own parents for being a lesbian.

That was when Dawn also realized what Zoey must have been planning to do: To get revenge on her parents for what they did. Cursing herself for not figuring this out sooner, Dawn quickly printed out directions and made her way to the manor where Zoey's parents currently took residence.

The moment the mansion finally came into view, Dawn saw something that worried her even more: a lone truck was parked out near the building. Quickly driving up to the lawn and bringing the car to a stop, Dawn hopped outside and looked in through the window for any sign of Zoey.

She prayed once again that she wasn't too late...

* * *

Mr. Richards was speechless as he gazed at what used to be the telephone lying in pieces before him. Sneering, Zoey lifted the gun up and blew away the smoke that was still residing inside the gun's barrel. 'She...she could have shot me...' Mr. Richards thought. his entire body shaking in horror.

Aiming the gun at her father's head, Zoey exclaimed, "I'm sorry, Mr. Richards...Mrs. Richards. But...I've been dying a bit inside every day because of you two. You think you can judge me just because I like girls? Why can't either of you have focused on something more important in a person like, oh, I dunno...PERSONALITY AND MORALES, OR SOMETHING?"

By this time, all three of them were crying, especially Zoey. She was crying the hardest...inside and out. "YOU SENT ME OUT INTO THAT COLD DARK WORLD ALONE WITH NOTHING BUT MY OWN DIGNITY! HOW...HOW COULD YOU HAVE JUST GOTTEN RID OF ME LIKE THAT? I MAY BE A LESBIAN, BUT...BUT I'M STILL YOUR DAUGHTER!"

Unable to take any more, Zoey let out a small cry before collapsing to her knees and bursting into sobs, her gun now lying uselessly in her shaking fingers. Mr. Richards and Mrs. Richards just continued to stand in place, watching their disowned daughter cry her heart out to them...


	14. The Last Contest

3 years ago, a horrible incident occured. A young woman, driven insane by jealousy and broken emotions, shot several people, including her younger brother, before killing herself. Due to this tragedy, the Pokemon Contest system was put on hold for months.

This is the tragedy of 'the last contest'...

* * *

Zoey stared at herself in the mirror and smiled. She was wearing her usual coordinator outfit, which oddly made her look like a prince of sorts, along with a small golden clip in her hair. 'Hmm...' she thought to herself, 'Maybe I should have put on a bit more of the flashier stuff...this is the Sinnoh Contest finals, after all!' 

Suddenly, the door to her dressing room swung open, and Zoey's parents walked in with big smiles on their faces. They were both extremely proud of their daughter for getting this far in the contests."Oh, honey! We're so happy for you! There's no way you can lose now!" Mrs. Richards exclaimed happily while giving her daughter a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek.

"I don't know about that..." Zoey remarked, "Anyone is able to end up winning this thing. I'm sure Dawn has a really good chance and-"

Zoey's father tried to look as serious and reserved as always, but he couldn't help but feel happy for his only daughter. Breaking out into laughter, he exclaimed, "Dawn? That blue-haired little brat? Please! None of those losers has a chance against you!"

It hurt Zoey to hear her father say such things, especially about Dawn, but she just thanked her parents for their support and rushed them out of the room. "I still need to get ready, though. I'll look out for you guys in the audience, okay?" Once the door seperating her and her parents had been locked, Zoey broke down and cried.

Covering her tear-stained face, Zoey thought, 'I've been in love with Dawn for so long...and my parents don't even have a clue. I tried coming out to them several times, but I always wimped out because I was afraid. I was afraid of what my parents would think. As my parents, I should always be able to trust them and believe in them...but I can't. I don't know what they'd think if they knew that I was a lesbian...'

Someone suddenly knocked on the door, so Zoey wiped her eyes and opened it. It was Dawn, and she was wearing such a cute beautiful dress that it took all Zoey had to keep herself from collapsing on top of her. Dawn walked into the room and gave Zoey a hug.

"This is a good-luck hug from me to you!" Dawn exclaimed happily, not noticing how red Zoey's face had become. Once they seperated, Zoey put on a smile and asked, "So...are you nervous at all?I know I am!" Dawn thought for a moment, her innocent face still glowing with excitement.

"Yeah, I'm nervous, too...everything's going to be shown live on TV, and only one person can come out on top. But...but if I lose, then I lose. It just means that I'm not strogn enough yet. At the least, if I can't do it, I would want you to win..." Dawn replied.

'God...she's so sweet and innocent...like an angel...' Zoey thought, the heat rising in her cheeks once again. Looking up at the clock, Dawn realized there was only an hour left until the contest finally started! The blue-haired beauty quickly bid Zoey good-bye and dashed out the door. Zoey stared at the other girl's ass for a few minutes before deciding to check out the arena itself.

Walking out through the hall and to one of the entrances, Zoey peeked out. People were still pouring into the building as the final arrangements were made for the contest battle ground. A large pearl-white square platform was in the middle of the large domed room. That was where the coordinator battles were supposed to take place.

'Hmm...this is going to get really exciting soon!' Zoey thought with a grin. As she turned around to head back to her room, she bumped into someone. It was a tall brown-haired girl with a bandanna on her head and rather large breasts. For some reason, she had completely ignored Zoey and didn't even bother apologizing as she continued storming down the hallway.

Zoey frowned and thought, 'Yeesh...what a rude bitch! ...Still, she had nice boobs.' And with that, Zoey just shrugged and went back into her room, not knowing that that girl she had run into would soon be the cause of a terrible incident...

An hour later, all of the participants were called down to the stadium grounds, where the announcer, a young buxom woman. came in and kicked off the beginning of the final Sinnoh Contest.

"WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO THE SINNOH CONTEST FINALS, WHERE THE VICTOR WILL BE CROWNED AS TOP CONTEST CHAMPION!!!" The announcer exclaimed into her microphone, which caused the entire crowd to erupt into applause. Zoey gulped nervously as the contestants were soon called out into the arena.

Standing next to her was Dawn, who leaned over and whispered, "Don't look so nervous, Zoey. Just try and relax...don't think of it as something so big and important...take a deep breath and calm down..." Zoey wasn't really sure how it was possible to be relaxed with such an important competition about to unfold.

"First," the announcer shouted, "We will present to you the match-ups for coordinator battles!" As a large TV screen overhead flickered to life to show the board, Zoey could have sworn she saw Dawn's smile falter for only a second.

'Was...was it just my imagination?' Zoey wondered. That was when she realized that she and Dawn had been paired up to fight against one another in the second round. Clenching her fists, Zoey prepared herself for anything as the first round quickly started, two trainers walking up onstage and letting out their pokemon.

Meanwhile, two people were engaged in an intense argument in a nearby hallway. An argument that will cause something terrible to happen. It was Ash Ketchum, who was constantly being followed by a weeping May.

"Why...why don't you love me? I came all the way here just to see you again!" May screeched, tears pouring down her face. The poor girl looked completely miserable, but Ash didn't seem to care about that.

He just turned around, glared hatefully at May, and snapped, "I don't love you because I love someone else! I already have a girlfriend, May! Don't you get it? Besides, what about you and Drew?"

May wasn't about to give up, though. "Drew? I...I only became his girlfriend so he'll take me here! You're the one I truly love, Ash! You have to understand, Ash! Please...love me back!"

"What? Love you back? How can I? I like you as a friend, May, a good friend...but nothing more, nothing less. That's all..."

Something within May's mind snapped at that point.

Spinning back on his heel, Ash continued to look for Misty. Still, May was unwilling to give up. 'Not now...I can't lose...I need him to love me...' the brown-haired girl thought desperately as she grabbed Ash's arm and pulled him around.

"May, what're you-"

Ash lost his train of thought when May placed her lips over his own. As Ash felt May's tongue slip into his mouth, he happend to look to the side and notice someone standing there...Misty. A look of pure horror and despair was evident on her face.

His own eyes widening, Ash pushed May to the ground and cried, "Misty...this isn't...I...this isn't what it looks like! Please...please...please listen to me!!!"

Instead of replying, Misty just turned around and ran down the hall and out the front doors. Ash cursed under his breath and, a powerful rage swelling up inside him, he looked over at May and slapped her hard across the face. He didn't even care about what he was doing anymore; this slut might have ruined the only real relationship Ash ever had.

Ash's entire body shook as he screamed, "YOU BITCH! YOU STUPID, FUCKIN' BITCH! DO YOU SEE WHAT YOU'VE DONE? MISTY...MISTY...YOU MADE ME HURT MISTY'S FEELINGS BY DOING THAT! ...NO, WHAT AM I SAYING? A WHORISH SLUT LIKE YOURSELF COULD NEVER UNDERSTAND SOMETHING LIKE 'REAL LOVE'! JUST...GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!"

With one final glare brimming with hatred, Ash ran after Misty, hoping it wasn't too late. May, however, just sat on the floor with a blank stare. After a moment, she began to smile. Then...she began to laugh. She laughed and laughed in a high-pitched whimsical tone. A small trail of saliva slid down her chin as she continued to laugh.

That was when she remembered the special 'item' she had brought along...just in case things didn't work out between her and Ash. At that moment, Drew walked into the hall and happened to notice May on the floor. Walking up to her, he asked, "Hey, May...what's wrong? Did you fall or something? I'm going to be fighting in the third round, so we can-"

Drew's words were garbled as two bullets teared into his neck and sliced away the nerves. With a struggled cough, Drew collapsed to the floor, dead. May smiled to herself and stared at the smoking pistol in her shaking hands. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out several more bullets, which she stocked into the pistol.

'Yes...yes...yesssssss...Ash will pay for not loving me...he will payyyy...'

May pushed herself up off the ground and walked off to find more victims, ignoring the bloody puddle now forming under Drew's corpse.

Back at the arena, the gunshots from earlier were drowned out by the cheers of the crowd. The first round had just finished, and it was now time for Zoey and Dawn to battle. Both girls were full of inner confidence as they walked up onto the platform and faced each other, pokeballs at the ready.

"Are you ready...Zoey?"

"I'm ready for anything...Dawn."

Zoey lifted her pokeball up into the air, and was about to throw it, when-

_BLAM!_

The announcer slumped to the floor, a small round bullet hole in her left temple. Zoey looked around and her eyes fell upon May, who was laughing quite insanely while waving the pistol around. The people in the audience broke out into screams and hysterics as they all tried to push their way out of the building.

'That...that's the girl I ran into earlier!' Zoey noticed, but then she realized something far more important...

'Dawn!'

Running forward, Zoey grabbed onto Dawn and pushed her down to the ground. It was the only thing she could think of to protect themselves, since the nearest exit was being blocked by this insane girl. Zoey looked at Dawn, and saw she was paralyzed in fear. Tears were forming on the sides of her eyes, but she didn't cry.

Zoey held Dawn a bit tighter and whispered to herself, 'Please...please don't shoot us...please...' Several more shots rang out, and Zoey resisted the urge to scream out. She glanced up and scanned the area: several bodies were lying on the floor unmoving, including a young kid with black hair and glasses.

There were at least six people dead; who knows how many had been killed before this? 'Oh god...' Zoey thought while swallowing the vomit in her throat, 'This...this is horrible...' Suddenly, Dawn seemed to have snapped out of her shock. Sitting up, she looked around and cried, "What...what's going on?"

Zoey saw May turn towards them, and she let out a small scream. She tried to pull Dawn down, but it was too late...that crazy brown-haired girl was aiming her pistol right at them. Dawn saw this and, her body shivering, muttered, "Z-Zoey...what...what is going on? I...I don't understand..."

Zoey cursed under her breath. 'There's no way out of this,' she thought, 'This girl is ruthless...we'll be killed for sure! If that's the case...then I need to make my last moments count!' Zoey grabbed Dawn's shoulders, pulled the girl up next to her, and kissed her softly on the lips. At that moment, the trigger was pulled and the sound of something crashing to the ground was heard.

However...it was May who fell. Her face was a bloody mess, and her pistol was lying off to the side, completely ignored. It turned out she only had one bullet left, and May decided to end her own life. Her heart and mind had been torn apart by her obsessive love...and she paid dearly for letting it control her.

Ash entered the room, depressed and alone, and freaked out when he realized he had almost stepped on the head of Max, May's little brother. 'He's...dead...' Ash thought gravely, quickly checking the younger boy's pulse. That was when he noticed Zoey and Dawn seemingly kissing on the arena platform.

Seeing they were finally safe, Zoey and Dawn seperated. Dawn, who was still unable to comprehend what just happened, lost consciousness. Zoey, however, was very much awake...and she kept wishing this was all just a horrible, horrible dream...

It was a dream...a dream they couldn't wake up from...

* * *

3 years later, after Zoey was soon disowned by her parents when she decided to come out to them, it was never revealed that Dawn remembers perfectly everything that happened during that fateful last contest...the people dying...the insane gunner...and that wonderful, if short, kiss she had shared with Zoey.

It took her a long time, but Dawn had finally realized how she felt about the tomboyish redhead...

...she was falling in love with Zoey. Now, all she had to do was gather the courage to tell her...


	15. Chapter 15

Dawn let out a gasp when she heard the gunshots ring out from within the house. She tried to see what was happening through any of the windows, but not a single soul was visible. Cursing under her breath, she ran back to the front of the door and banged helplessly against it several times. No one answered.

Looking around, Dawn spotted a shovel up against the house. Picking it up, she aimed directly for a window and swung. She closed her eyes as she did this.

'Oh crap! Oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap! Please don't let me be too late! Please don't let me be too late!' The glass shattered, and Dawn carefully made her way inside. Even though some of the glass shards cut into her skin, she just ignored the pain.

As soon as she got into the living room of the house, Dawn called out, "Zoey...Zoey...are you here? Please...answer me! I...I want to help you!" Suddenly, she heard a click, and Dawn's eyes slowly moved to the direction of the sound. Her body began to shake and tears started to form in her eyes when she realized a gun was being aimed directly at her...by Zoey.

Zoey was shaking as well, and tears were pouring down her pale face as well. Behind her, within the doorway to the kitchen, the redhead's parents were peeking in and watching the scene in fear. Although a gun was aimed at her head, Dawn let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness," she said as her own tears started to leak out, "I was so afraid you killed them, Zoey. There's no way you could be a murderer..." Zoey, however, seemed to have been pissed off even further by Dawn's comments.

Her grip on the pistol became tighter as she snarled, "...Shut up...I was going to kill them before you came here! Please, Dawn...just leave and let me do what I have to do! Those two CREATURES behind me...they aren't human! I'm their daughter and they abandoned me! They don't even deserve to live! Why...why can' t you understand how I feel?"

Dawn knew that Zoey was close to completely losing it...so she couldn't afford to make any mistakes. Slowly and subtly taking one step forward, Dawn tried her best to calm Zoey down.

"Zoey, please..." she begged, "Don't do this. You don't really want to kill them...I know you don't. Please, put the gun down and come back to the apartment. You can live with me and Ash from now on, if you want. I'm serious, Zoey...take a deep breath and drop the gun. I'll make sure you get help...I won't let you slip through the cracks...you can trust me..."

Zoey's body shook violently for a moment, but she didn't pull the trigger. As Dawn came closer, the blue-haired girl started to see the look of pure anguish that was spread across Zoey's tear-stained face. 'Oh god...this poor young woman...the woman I loved...she's in such emotional pain...' Dawn thought in despair.

Suddenly, Zoey let out a small pained chuckle. "You're not going to let me slip through the cracks?" she asked, "Is that what you said, Dawn? How ironic...it's because of you that this is happening! For so long...for so long...ever since we first met...I've..." Whether it was her weakening mentality or the fact she just couldn't take it anymore, Zoey knew it was time to finally open up about her feelings.

Taking a deep breath, Zoey said, "Ever since we first met as kids...I've...I've been completely and utterly in love with you. Even now...all I want is for you to be with me forever..."

Dawn wanted to cry out and hug Zoey with all her might, but she couldn't do anything to possibly trigger a reaction from the disgruntled redhead. For now, all she had to do was continue to slowly make her way towards Zoey as she continued to talk.

"I had always wished I was brave enough to tell you," Zoey continued, "I would always dream about you...I couldn't get you out of my head. Your beautiful face...your body...your naive yet sweet personality...I loved it all. Please...please don't think of me as a perverted stalker, though. I'm not...I...I just want to love you..."

At this point, Dawn felt that it was safe enough for her to touch Zoey; it didn't look like she was planning on pulling the gun's trigger anymore. "Even when my parents disowned me for loving another woman...even when I started cutting myself...even as my entire life spiraled downhill...I still loved you..." Zoey said with a slight smile.

Finally, when she close enough, Dawn wrapped her arms around Zoey and hugged her tightly. Zoey continued to stare ahead for a while, but then she brought the gun down to her side. Rubbing her face gently under Zoey's chin, Dawn whispered, "Zoey...it'll be okay...I love you...I really do...I love you so much...I want to be with you too..."

Before she could say anymore, Dawn felt Zoey's lips press against hers. 'Mmm...she tastes like caramel and cherries...' Dawn thought happily as she deepened the kiss. The gun in Zoey's hand slipped out of her grip and it fell lifelessly to the floor. As the two girls continued to kiss, their mouths became wet with the salty tears that poured down their faces.

"Dawn...I love you with all my heart..."

"I love you too, Zoey...I love you too..."

'I LOVE YOU SO MUCH...'


	16. Chapter 16

Misty continued to glance nervously to the side as she drove back to the apartment; Ash had never seemed so completely downcast before. 'Poor guy...he really blames himself for what happened to May...' Misty thought sadly, wishing she could cheer him up if she hadn't been the one driving. The sun was just starting to rise over the horizon.

Leaning over a bit, Misty said, "Hey, Ash...I-"

Suddenly, Ash's cell phone started to ring. Ash didn't even bother answering it; he just stared out at the foggy black ocean before him, his mind full of thoughts. Finally, after about a minute, Ash decided to answer the call. Flipping it open and holding it up against his ear, he said, "...Hello? This is Ash Ketchum..."

"Ash...? This is Dawn," the voice on the other line replied, "I...I found Zoey. She had a gun...and she was at her parents' house...but she didn't shoot anyone. Everything will be alright...everything will be alright..." Dawn's voice eventually cut off as she broke down into sobs.

Ash closed his phone and let out a deep sigh; the deepest sigh in his entire life.

Closing his eyes as the sun's rays peeked out over them, Ash thought, 'Finally...finally...it's all over...it's all over...' Slowly, tears crawled down the sides of his face. Misty noticed the tears, but she didn't say anything...

* * *

Two days later, Zoey was admitted into a psychiatric hospital. Although her murderous urges had been suppressed by Dawn, the red head wasn't about to take any chances. Thru the entire process, Dawn was always there for Zoey. Now that they were finally together, Zoey had never been happier in her entire life.

Not long after she started going to get help, Zoey recieved a letter from her parents. It said how deeply sorry and regretful they were for what they did, and that they had left her 1000 in the bank to be spent in any way she pleased. The final line also requested that this be the last time they ever communicate with one another.

Ash and Misty were married and both Dawn and Zoey attended. After the wedding, Ash visited May's grave one more time and prayed that her soul rest in peace. Dawn and Zoey even got to meet Ash's mom and his mysterious father during the joyous event. Of course, even though she was allowed at the wedding, Zoey was still a psychiatric patient and had to be watched carefully.

The day Zoey was finally cleared, though, she and Dawn kissed passionately in public. Several people stopped and pointed, some of them cursing out loud, but neither girl could have cared less. Wrapping their arms around one another, they knew they were finally together...and nothing could ever change that.

A few years later, Dawn and Zoey married and adopted a young girl as their daughter. For the rest of her life, Zoey was happy...

...her broken wings had been repaired by the unbreakable bond of love she and Dawn formed.

* * *

A/N: IT'S...THE END!!

i'M GLAD ALOT OF PEOPLE ENJOYED THIS FIC, I REALLY AM! I MIGHT MAKE A SPECIAL ALTERNATE ENDING CHAPTER, TOO! ALSO...I GUESS THIS FIC DIDN'T CONTAIN ANY LEMONS OR LIMES! OH, WELL! I ONLY SAID 'POSSIBLY' IN THE SUMMARY, ANYWAY!

NOW...JUST INVISION ALL OF THE CHARACTERS DANCING ELITE-BEAT AGENTS STYLE, DAMMIT!

-Roxius


End file.
